Guest Blog With Us!

Archives: August2018

A call center script can be an excellent resource when training agents at your organization. Providing your agents with a call center script can guide them through answering difficult questions and turn unhappy customers into your brand’s biggest promoters. But, even in the most experienced of contact centers, having the perfect script doesn’t mean your work is done. In order to drive success in your call center, you must know the call center script do’s and don’ts.

Searching for call center technology that compliments your call center script? VirtualPBX is your one-stop shop for all your contact center needs. Our industry-leading Business Phone Plans will improve your call quality, call efficiency, and give you a dynamic live-view into how your call center is performing. With a host of robust features like Call Recording, CRM Integration, and Real-Time-Monitor, your call center will be operating at peak performance 24/7.

Did we miss any call center script do’s and don’ts? Let us know your best practices on Facebook and Twitter!

ICMI (International Customer Management Institute) has named the following as the most important call center metrics to track – first call resolution, service level response time, adherence to schedule, forecasting accuracy, self-service accessibility, contact quality, and customer satisfaction. We can’t agree enough that these points are crucial for the success of any call center – whether it be a sales organization, customer support, a political campaign, fundraising effort, or any other type of call center. But exactly how can these metrics be tracked effectively?

Tracking Call Responses

Whether inbound, outbound, or a combination of the two, not every call ends with a successful transaction. In fact, especially for a cold-calling sales organization, it’s not uncommon for the majority of calls to result in a refusal to purchase/signup. For this reason, it is important for agents to be efficient with their time. When an agent has to call a lead back repeatedly because they were not equipped to answer their questions, a call lasts longer than it should, or the lead is left waiting, sales could be slipping through the cracks. Many of these inefficiencies can be prevented in the training process, but there are a few key call center metrics to watch for.

An abundance of missed calls and voicemails: These should be considered as potential missed opportunities and avoided at all costs. One easy fix is an overflow queue staffed by managers or members of other teams capable of answering questions and facilitating transactions when a primary staff is overwhelmed.

Call outcomes: The result of a call should be tied to the lead’s contact information. Most often this is done with the assistance of a CRM Integration which can be customized to track the call outcomes possible with your efforts, how many calls occurred between a single contact, and how much revenue was tied to that particular transaction.

Trends in call activity logs: Advanced phone systems will provide detailed call logs with a whole host of call center metrics to analyze like call duration, time of day, and who the caller spoke with. Trends found can help you address which agents are adhering to call volume goals, whether staffing matches your needs, and more.

Get the Call Center Metrics You Need

No matter the size of your organization, VirtualPBX has the technology to not only run your call center, but to provide you with the metrics you need to stay on track with your goals. With business phone plans to fit any organization and a host of features included, like the Real-Time Monitor shown below, measuring your call center’s efforts has never been easier.

Are you planning to set up a call center or perhaps work with one? Are you trying to equip your sales and support team with the best phone systems available, the kind most popular in call centers? Call centers and businesses alike depend not only the agents and managers making phone calls – although these individuals indeed are a huge part of a successful one. The technologies employed by call centers and business play a pivotal role – including the call center telephone, call routing software, and reporting mechanisms.

A call center telephone system facilitates basic functions, such as call routing, multi-channel communications, individual agent preferences, and call activity reports. Integrations with services like customer relationship management (CRM) software and custom integrations made possible by Webhooks are also growing in popularity as they provide deeper insights into your contacts by connecting call data to additional data points. Added features such as Real-Time Monitoring, automated customer surveys, and multilingual customer service add significant value as well.

Which Call Center Telephone Options to Choose

Choosing the right call center telephone to supply your workers with may seem like a daunting task, but fortunately with a hosted PBX service, you have a wealth of options built to fit a range of budgets and preferences.

Buy new VoIP phones: for companies and call centers looking to build a long-term operation with in-house staff, preprogramed VoIP phones provide a high tech solution that can handle multiple calls per phone. Two of the most popular models in our inventory include the Polycom VVX 301 VoIP Phone and the Yealink SIP T46G which comes with a full color touch screen.

Use existing desk phones: switching your business phone service doesn’t necessarily mean switching the phones that you use. VirtualPBX supports most phones from Ubiquity, Polycom, Yealink, and Cisco, but if there is a phone or phones that you would like to use with your service and are unsure of their compatibility, just give us a call! Our agents are standing by 24/7 to answer your compatibility questions at 888.825.0800.

Buy new mobile phones or request SIM cards for 4G LTE service: for mobile call centers or for those who require data and texting on top of typical phone service, 4G LTE Mobile is the all in one solution. No need to pay multiple providers, handle expense reports, or worry about employees using personal contact details.

Check out our free to use Web Phone: take advantage of our browser-based Web Phone to make calls using plan minutes. No downloads or updates to manage and no user fees make this the easy low-cost solution without sacrificing call quality. What’s more, it improves collaboration, members of the team can work remotely, and managers remain connected while they are away from the office.

No matter the call center telephone or telephones that you choose, all options are backed by 24/7 customer support from VirtualPBX. Better yet, just like your phone system, the devices you choose are up to you. Use any mix of VoIP desk phones, mobile phones, or Web Phones to make and receive calls and make changes at any time. So, what will you choose? Let us know which device option fits your needs best by reaching out on Facebook or Twitter – we’d love to hear from you!

The success of your organization’s customer contact center can define your brand, campaign, or organization for better or worse in today’s digital world. In order to meet the stringent expectations of your audience, your organization must deploy call center technology that increases productivity, provides real-time insights, and presents a professional image of your brand.

Call Center Technology

When choosing the right call center solutions for your business, consider these call center technologies:

Real-Time Monitor: Monitoring your business phone system in real-time with a dynamic, live view of all call activity is one of the most effective ways supervisors can achieve peak call center performance. View how many calls are taking place, which agents are busy, and which agents are available. If you need to know what’s happening with your phone system at all times, then you need a Real-Time Monitor.

Web Phone: Cutting the cord on expensive PBX hardware is easier than ever thanks to the affordability and functionality of browser-based calling. Built on WebRTC technology – the Web Phone includes features like click-to-call, call transfers, self-muting, audio preference management, and more. The best part is it’s free! Simply pay for the minutes that are pooled from your Dash Plan. When you sign up with Dash Business Phone System your team can start making crystal-clear calls right from your web browser within minutes.

Rent top call center phones: Looking to rent the latest Call Center Technology for your political campaign at the lowest cost around? VirtualPBX can help you equip your call center from the ground up. For less than $10/mo you can rent the Tom Brady of VoIP Phones (Yealink T21P E2) or you can purchase new VoIP Phones from our online store. With a limitless supply or phones and prices that will fit any budget, isn’t it time you upgrade to VirtualPBX Call Center Technology?

Explore the Full Range of Call Center Technology Features

One size doesn’t necessarily fit all – every call center has its own unique goals and expectations. To truly succeed in your endeavors, your call center must be built to reflect these ambitions. VirtualPBX provides plans to fit any budget with a huge variety of included features. We also provide Custom Voice Solutions which are a truly bespoke solution for call centers, including custom call routing and configuration. To get started, just give us a call at 888.825.0800. We have team members standing by 24/7 to assist!

A call center is a workforce that manages inbound and/or outbound call traffic to support a particular goal. The types of call centers vary, but some of the most common include political campaigns, lead generation, telemarketing, fundraising drives, grassroots campaigns and market research. While the intent of these efforts ranges greatly, there are a few guiding principles in call center management that can ensure success.

Call Center Management

A successful call center depends on the alignment of all individuals involved – from top-level leadership to the newest trainee. Here are some essential tips for call center management:

Staff your call center with committed individuals: A call center is a team effort and every member of the team must contribute to shared goals. When hiring, make sure to look for individuals who are aligned with these goals from the beginning and motivated to achieve them.

Stay informed: Whether selling a product, a candidate, or a cause – it’s important to stay up to date on related news. This may include competitive analysis, news briefings, product training, or other research. The important thing to remember is that when your agents are on the line with someone, they’re representing the organization in every answer they provide. By anticipating and preparing for the questions that they will receive, you ensure that they’re presenting the image you want to project.

Use technology to your advantage: A successful call center is productive. Depending on the needs and budget of your call center, you may consider a few different methods to make the calls themselves. VoIP desk phones,4G LTE mobile phones, or even a free to use Web Phone will provide crystal clear audio. For smaller budgets that still prefer a physical phone, rental VoIP phones are a great option that allows you to return devices when you no longer need them.

Track your efforts: Learn from your efforts by tracking the outcome of each call. The sophistication of this process will certainly depend on budget, but the best way to accurately track contacts and use data for reporting measures is through the use of a CRM. A CRM integration with your phone system will track call outcome, agent activity, call volume by date, and other call center management statistics.

VirtualPBX Robust Call Center Solutions

Support your call center with technology that will boost productivity, provide insight into your efforts, and present a professional image. Business phone plans from VirtualPBX come with a set number of included minutes, a library of included features, compatibility with a wide range of phone options, and 99.999% uptime. Any changes are made directly in the easy to use web portal shown below. The best part is that all plans include 24/7 support to assist you whenever your call center needs an help with an adjustment or optimization.